My over-ambitious ECML project pretty much ground to a halt in early-2017 with the first of a succession of health issues. I am still hoping to complete some specific sub-projects, but the grand design seems unlikely now to advance very far.

The layout's main traffic is intended to be expresses (including streamliners) and coal trains, running over Welwyn Viaduct and through Welwyn North station. The fully developed scheme also involves the King's Cross platforms and approach tracks out to Copenhagen tunnel with the necessary empty stock moves for the express passenger trains.

The plan for providing locos for the project has been to have a group of N2 0-6-2Ts to handle the empty stock moves at King's Cross, A1/A3 and A4 pacifics using Hornby bodies on chassis I have been working on building and a group of freight locos, mainly for the coal trains but including a few others. The N2s have been completed by John Brighton with his team's assistance. Tom Mallard is working on the freight locos, and it is one of those I thought might be of interest. The loco is still very much a work in progress and although various sub-assemblies are well on the way, the chassis is shown here. The loco is an LNER (ex-GN) O1 2-8-0, no.3458, one of 20 of this 2-cylinder type built before Gresley switched to the general use of 3-cylinder designs. A striking feature of the O1 are the long connecting rods driving the third axle (in contrast to an O2) and the large cylinders.

Tom achieves amazing quality and I thought modellers would enjoy seeing his work.

Well, I certainly enjoyed admiring it, Andrew. Naked models - in the unpainted sense, you understand - have an attraction all their own, especially when so neatly finished as Tom's work.Best wishes,Jim